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Wednesday, April 17, 2013

If You Like…: Crossing Brooklyn Ferry Edition (Part Two)

by Jane Jansen Seymour

In the second of a series, here are two more bands from the Brooklyn music scene that will be appearing at this year’s Crossing Brooklyn Ferry at BAM from April 25 to 27. These groups are just another point of pride for the borough among many others in the vast line up.

If you like Foals, check out Here We Go Magic

Here We Go Magic (Saturday, April 27) delivers songs like waves of thought, seemingly simplistic on the surface but actually complex arrangements of guitars and percussion, similar to Foals, Real Estate, and Beach Fossils. Singer/songwriter Luke Temple flaunts his folk music background within an indie rock structure, alongside core members Michael Bloch on bass and drummer Peter Hale. (The group branches out into a quintet when touring.) Its fourth album, 2012’s A Different Ship, was created under the watchful eye of Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, as rhythmic patterns receive a similar treatment in both bands. Key tracks such as “Make Up Your Mind” and “How Do I Know” seem to have a life all their own, while gamely inviting the audience along for the ride.

If you like Dirty Projectors, check out People Get Ready

Steven Reker’s musical project People Get Ready (April 27) blurs creative boundaries with an eclectic pop sound similar to Deerhoof and the Dirty Projectors. Yet this Brooklyn group’s tightly-wound songs burst wide open in live settings. When Reker served as a dancer and guitar player in David Byrne’s 2008—09 world tour, each date gave him an opportunity to really move while making music onstage. Here, with his band, he sings and plays guitar as his foot finds a strategic moment to kick, and a musical build inspires major head-bopping. This performance art mindset has followed them on tour since the group released its first self-titled full length album last fall. Jen Goma provides backing vocals at her keyboard, James Rickman adds another layer of guitar, and Luke Fasano supplies the percussive backbone.

Jane Jansen Seymour is a music writer for PopMatters and her own blog, New Music Matters (nmmatters.com).